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When General Motors introduced its all-new 2014 Silverado and Sierra trucks in December 2012, we were told (several times) that the automaker was diligent in doing its homework in researching the needs and wants of the various truck customers, and then aligning its findings into the development of its new line of trucks. And just recently, we found what that homework consisted of: The General conducted 18 clinics that saw thousands of participants.

During the events, the automaker asked about such things as styling, the interior, the new CornerStep bumper and the integrated box side handles, among other items. And if preliminary data is any indication, The General’s development, design, and engineering efforts will pay off: the automaker recently announced best-in-class fuel economy and towing ratings for the mid-level 5.3L V8 Ecotec3 engine — a feat that it is achieving without turbocharging a smaller-displacement motor. But even then, we wonder what clinic participants had to say about the off-center steering wheel (see photos below).

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34 Comments

Not even GM is convinced. If these trucks really were going to do as well as GM claims, then they would not be TRYING to convince anybody. The message would be clear for all to see. They are a weak attempt to dethrone Ford. The so-called 1mpg improvement in fuel economy for a set of buyers who are already experiencing sub-20mpg figures is not a deal breaker here. Neither are gimmicks like self-lifting tailgates. The Emperor’s new clothes…

I’m with you on this. I like the way they look, but they kind of look like the “truck from the future” in the year 1966 (before the streamlined ’67 came out).
I wonder how those huge wheel well openings cliniced? An ex-GM reseacher told me once that those always did poorly but some GM design “standard” keeps them. They should just paint those “chrome?” front bumpers- is that see-thru chrome? They look dull and ready to rust. The ones on the current truck look pretty bad when I see them on the road.

While clinics give feed back an automaker still needs to look at the data and do what they think is right.

Uncle Bob Lutz in his book points out that the customer is not always right.

Building a vehicle take careful consideration to the customer and a big scoop of common sense.

GM did a nice job on these trucks but the styling just does not send the message of how much they have changed.

Case in point look at the old CTS and the new CTS and tell me that the car sends a strong message of change. Now look at the old Chevy and the new Chevy truck and it sends a message of evolution not major changes.

To be fair Ford and Ram have done the same too. I think MFG’s play it conservative with the trucks as not to risk the loss of cash flow.

Either way this truck will not be around long as they will need more advances to deal with the higher CAFE that is coming. I still see the larger Colorado playing a role here with the light Half ton market. I see not reason to make a large small truck unless they have something in mind.

Dethroning Ford is not easy as peoples truck buying is a habit and they seldom change. The younger buyers are where they can make up ground as they are less of a creature of habit.

@Michael W As far as design goes: absolutely true. And I also agree that regular consumers sometimes don’t know what they need/want, and why. But field-testing a product before its release or during the research stages can be useful, as well — as long as it’s done right.

Definitely, the current customer cannot know the future. The designer needs to do that! Clinics have a lot of value looking at what works in the current market, and competing new designs. But when you rely on Mr/Mrs Zilch, you end up with a loss of design integrity.
I heard a story that they did NOT clinic the 2005 Mustang. Designer Jay Mays said if they didn’t know what a Mustang IS, no one else will. The result speaks for itself I think.

Richard you do realize the features you are describing are the result of the needs, wants and desires of actual truck buyers. Not just GM truck buyers, but they are representative of the entire market as a whole.

You seem to be missing the fact that the trucks are more powerful, more capable AND more fuel efficient. The fuel Eco could have staid the same and the trucks could have been more capable and it would still have been impressive. But hey, more power and efficiency is what we get, yet you still bitch and moan.

In your analogy, your words are the emperor… And they are the naked ones. the “king”…

it is my belief that all of the truck manufacturers hold workshops. I have been involved in a couple and have always asked about two features; higher intensity forward lighting and power-folding camper mirrors. Of all, Ford responded with both. I’ll keep my 2500HD, now modified to my needs at my expense.

No, SE, I think you’ve missed my point, not the other way around. These trucks are not significant enough game-changers when compared to the other products. Think about it. With ATS, Cadillac has met BMW 3 Series head on and has actually passed it. And this is a vehicle that is seeing its first iteration to market! This is not the case with Silverado. What do you think is going to happen when the next F150 comes around? Do you really think the EcoBoost will still have less power than the EcoTec3? With all the announcements of weight-saving efforts with the F150 do you really think it will stay 1mpg less fuel efficient than the Silverado? And don’t think for a second that when Ford bests this will it outdo the Silverado by…get this…a whopping 1mpg. [smdh]. GM has the ability to do better, but the truck department is still existing in the 90s.

Agree. It’s a full size pick-up? How hard is it to know what the vast majority of people want? Do you need 18 clinics? They’ve only been in the pick-up business for what 100 years?

In todays shallow, superficial society you need the marketing, the hype, the sizzle, the perception that something is really new and ground breaking. The new C7 Corvette is a perfect example, it has many “foaming at the mouth” wanting one. These new trucks? I don’t see the same anticipation at all.

My point exactly, LF. I got deboosted 14 times (last count) for stating this very fact above. These trucks will not last long as they presently are, if GM will do for them what they are now doing with the Malibu. I predict that within a year announcements will be made about a refresh. The pickup game is going to get very difficult for GM. The other two manufacturers will be doing some things that we had the opportunity to do, but have fallen into the me-too attitude. With Ram offering a diesel in the 1500 the so-called class leading fuel economy of the Silverado will be challenged, and I suspect shattered.

The 2014 Ram 1500 with the 3.0L oil burner/8 spd. is an example of a new option with huge potential. Because neither GM or Ford or anyone else for that matter, offers a powertrain in a full size 1/2 ton that may touch 30 mpg hwy? New truck buyers are going to want to check it out? See how it drives, etc…Some will bite and buy one even though Ram truck is inferior in many other ways, it does’nt matter.

Richard, I always see you making the stupidest arguments. Do you even know how much it takes to get a truck up a whole 1mpg? Sure, lose weight, then you lose your towing capacity. Make it lower to the ground, lose your clearance. Strip out features, and lose your customers. It’s like you don’t even think about the whole package when you spew out onto your keyboard. What would the fuel mileage be in the ecotec3 if you slapped a turbo on it? Better. Because thats what turbos do. To engineer a motor to be more efficient than a smaller displacement, turbocharged motor is hard work.

Hold your horses here! We’ve seen one, one engine thus far. The numbers look pretty darn good, and there’s more to come. Not to mention the fact that nobody outside of GM has driven them, and if they have the comments/editorial on them are embargoed. Making statements about game changers before any reviews, customer drives, or any of that is as nuts as those who comment about “not liking” or “loving” a camo’d up anything. You’re just not getting a clear picture. BTW, tell a fleet manager or someone who drives a lot that 1 MPG isn’t a big deal, especially with a V8 4WD truck…I’d take the extra gain in my current truck.
Engines aside, design, handling, ride, comfort, and so much more have yet to be evaluated. maybe the design isn’t as awe inspiring as the CTS or C7, but truck buyers use a lot more than that to evaluate a purchase. Let’s see what happens when people actually get to have some seat time.

These trucks aren’t going to last long before they require a refresh. Inside and out. Nothing you see says ‘ooooh, I gotta have it’ – and with the price of pickups what it is, most people (other than the brand-loyalists) are going to buy something they WANT/LOVE. I think the new 5.3l is just about perfect. Ups the torque and hp from the previous gen and most importantly: get’s fantastic gas mileage doing it. I think the interiors of these trucks are a mess. I find them quirky/ugly. The outside, while paying homage to the 1970-era trucks (and WHY did anyone think that was a good idea?), doesn’t get my blood racing – and judging from the comments here and elsewhere, I think most people fall along similar lines.

As far as the off-center steering wheel goes, I think that’s just a CG problem in the pictures included in the site. From what I can see in the pictures from auto shows, the wheel is in line with the seat. Try this, see what you think:

@Alex Luft: I didn’t really notice it until after I read this, but my 2005 Sierra’s steering wheel really isn’t dead center on the seat either. It’s more to the right. Having seen them in person, can you tell me is it awkward to see/feel?

@ItsMillerTime It’s not very noticeable or awkward to see or feel, but seeing/feeling is different from driving. Given that the GMT800 models are a bit off-center as well, I don’t think it will be noticeable — but we’ll see during the first drive (in a month or so, I believe).

First off i am a proud owner of the 2011 model silverado.Starting with the styling i dont see much difference between this and previous models. i do like my 2011 but was hoping for major changes with the 2014 model so i would have a good excuse to buy a new truck. I use my trucks off road on two track roads here in wyoming quit a bit so was hoping they would do somthing different with the groung clearance on this truck and not such a low hanging car like front bumper. Also the cheap thin grade sheet metal used in the body of this truck is so flimsy and cheap. I can shut my gas cap and watch the whole side paneling of the truck shake as the gas lid closes. Now i know less metal equils better fuel economy and safer crash absorbent bodys but come on gm a little more metal in the fenders would be nice as to not dent the vehical when simply loading fire wood, standing on the bed edges to secure a atv with tie downs or just using the truck like a truck in general. The bad thing is the big three in general is guilty of cheap body panels. If they all keep up on this cheap trend i think i will drop 25 to 35 grand putting in a new engine trans and paint job into an old GMC or Ford 1962 to 66 pickup so i can feel like a have a real truck and still be thousands ahead of buying a new cheap but expensive truck.

Wow, I was viewing this to see if there was reply. I read my post from last night, and it had a few dramatically, but very readable, and suddenly its gone.

People who live on miles of rock gravel roads have a problem with these trucks for over decade with the front end steering, with out abuse of them. We are on own with the net to find solutions and truthful answers as to the whys etc.

I replaced all my front end components at a cost of almost a 1000 dollars on a truck with 44,000 miles and the truck was never lifted etc.

The dealer ship service manager personally got involved in the alignment and was in the green area per the machine, and they test drove it together, and he told me to my face they are close now, but could not move it any more, so I have to live with it.

The replacement parts including new very heavy duty tierods and as are all other parts heavy duty after market, plus I added bilstien shocks on top of the cost for the parts.

The intermittent steering shaft has been replaced three times with no abuse, except for 10 MPH travel of nine miles of mountain rock road travel to stop the chatter/rattling that was madding, with 44,000 miles.

Another 07 I have a Chevy dually Silverado, wonderful truck, but the intermittent steering shaft has been replaced twice, once under warrranty as the other truck, but only paid for a second one out of warranty, but the truck has only a little over 19,000 miles on it and is garaged!

Wow, I was viewing this to see if there was reply. I read my post from last night, and suddenly its gone.

People who live on miles of rock gravel roads have a problem with these trucks for over decade with the front end steering, with out abuse of them. We are on own with the net to find solutions and truthful answers as to the whys etc.

I replaced all my front end components at a cost of almost a 1000 dollars on a truck with 44,000 miles on it and the truck was never lifted etc.

The dealer ship service manager personally got involved in the alignment and it was in the green area per the machine, and they test drove it together, and he told me to my face they are close now, but could not move it any more to stop some pull to right, but its not as bad as before, so I have to live with it. ? The truck never had an accident or rough driving.

The replacement parts including new very heavy duty tie rods and as are all other parts heavy duty after market, plus I added Bilstien shocks on top of the cost for the parts.

The intermittent steering shaft has been replaced three times with no abuse on my GMC Duramax except for 10 MPH travel of nine miles of mountain rock road travel to stop the chatter/rattling that was maddening, with 44,000 miles.

Another 07 I have a Chevy dually Silverado, a wonderful truck, but the intermittent steering shaft has also been replaced twice, once under warranty as the other truck, but I only paid for a second one out of warranty, but the truck has only a little over 19,000 miles on it and is garaged!

GM will not pay for any of as warranty time is the wall on this, but the low mileage on a top line four door etc. that cost allot.

I just purchased a 2015 GMC Sierra 2500 Denali HD 4×4. I measured the the seat with the steering wheel to see if it is indeed misaligned & off-center. I am pleased to inform you that it is NOT. So if there was an issue on this before with GMC Sierra’s. The clinic’s must of brought this to GM’s attention & they fixed the problem. Because there is no visual or physical signs of an off-center steering wheel. Also, I have nothing against Ford, RAM, or Chevy. I like all the trucks on the road, but with everything the 2015 GMC Denali HD’s offer, I couldn’t help but purchase one. From looks all the way down to tech & performance, it was a no brainer for me after test driving Ford, RAM, & even Chevy. (Though the Chevy High Country was very similar performance wise)